{% include "includes/auth/janrain/signIn_traditional.html" with message='It looks like you are already verified. If you still have trouble signing in, you probably need a new confirmation link email.' %}

How hospitals used a sophisticated media campaign to snatch victory from the debt fight

You may have seen this commercial last week on the cable news shows. It was tough not to.
httpv://youtu.be/eTCdViwWN3k
The advertisement features three seniors asking their congressman “What were you thinking?” considering cutting Medicare and Medicaid payments to hospitals by $100 billion.
“Did you think we wouldn’t notice?” it asks.

The campaign features a toll-free phone number that, when dialed, asks you to input your Zip code and then connects you to your member of Congress. The recorded voice gives detailed coaching on exactly what exactly to say.

The ad was paid for by the Coalition to Protect America’s Healthcare, a 501c4 organization with no employees and assets of about $10 million according to its most recent tax filing.

The coalition is a creature of the American Hospital Association, and its “Honor Roll” of members includes Boynton Beach’s Bethesda Memorial Hospital as well as the Tenet and HCA hospital chains.

The Coalition has hired Denver-based Media Strategies and Research Co. to create an impression that hospitals are struggling and cannot possibly absorb cuts in federal reimbursements.

The tactic continues to work, apparently. The debt ceiling bill expected to pass today leaves Medicare and Medicaid untouched in year one, although once the 12-person committee is convened later this year, future cuts seem likely.

According to the Coalition’s own reports, it has been wildly successful at heading off previous threatened cuts to hospital reimbursements, avoiding $457 billion worth since 2000.

According to the Coaliton’s web site,

Survey research completed by Public Opinion Strategies revealed that, in markets that saw no Coalition advertising, 42% of respondents said hospitals faced “good times,” and 36% said hospitals faced “bad times.”
In markets where all of the Coalition advertising was seen, there was a dramatic difference – only 27% reported “good times” and 55% said hospitals were facing “bad times.”

Meanwhile, the CEOs of those companies have done well. Bethesda’s Robert Hill was paid $921,206 in base salary, deferred compensation, other compensation and benefits, according to the hospital’s most recent IRS-990 from 2009.

Tenet CEO Trevor Fetter made $5.85 million in salary and compensation and HCA CEO Jack Bovender Jr. made $3.74 million.